KOCHI: The Changampuzha Samskarika Kendram should be made the epicentre for cultural activities in the city, said K Balachandran, former chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). He was inaugurating the renovation work of the centre, which is scheduled to be completed in six months’ time.
Changampuzha Park, which will complete 50 years in 2027, is a place where people come together to spend their evenings and moreover to enjoy and learn art forms.
“It is a place where musical, cultural and art events take place almost every day. We have nearly 1,500 to 2,500 life members. Such a place should be made the epicentre of cultural activities,” said Balachandran.
“I urge the GCDA to complete the renovation work without harming the trees and nature, and return the park to people who love the centre,” he said, adding that he appreciated the efforts of the people’s representatives towards the development of the centre in the last 45 years. The centre’s infrastructure will be modernised as part of the renovation to accommodate more people and improve facilities.
“The plan for the renovation was first proposed by the Kochi architectural association. Later, we discussed it with other experts. The renovation work will be carried out utilising `4 crore provided by the Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML),” said Chandran Pillai.
Priority will be given to renovating the walkway and solving the waterlogging issue in the area. Urging public cooperation, he vowed to complete the work within six months.
The kendram, located on two acres of land in Edappally and named after the poet Changampuzha Krishna Pillai, was established in 1977. City mayor M Anilkumar, MP Hibi Eden, and MLA Uma Thomas spoke.